Join local photographer Royce Howland for this exciting spring photography event. Discover the many splendours of Bighorn Country and the central parts of Banff and Jasper National Parks in spring - a great time to beat the crowds of summer and enjoy our wildlife and early flowers. Royce and your host will accompany you to some of their favourite locations, so you can experience and capture the rewarding spring scenery and natural attractions found in the lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains. We will be touring in the foothills, front or main ranges, including diverse scenery such as Kootenay Plains, forests, canyons, creeks, waterfalls, reflecting ponds, glaciers and more. Wildlife and close-up subjects are abundant at this time of year.

Royce's photo tours are geared towards intermediate photographers and include one-on-one field instruction and provide a great opportunity for like-minded nature lovers / photographers to get together and discover the beauty of the Rocky Mountains at a lesser known time of year, in a small group, leaving lots of time for picture taking and exploring. You should be fit enough to hike two to three hours on some days with your gear, which will leave plenty of time for photography. For more information on Royce Howland check out his website www.vividaspectphoto.com.

We have also been able to secure access to the Brazeau Colliery historic site in Nordegg. The site is a treasure trove for those who love detail photography and industrial relics in a natural setting, for which you will find some examples on Royce's website. A great opportunity to hone your detail vision as well as compositional skills and add something very different to your portfolio.

Any media (digital or film) or format are acceptable, and you should be reasonably familiar with your camera to benefit from the field trips. Those requiring no guidance will be happy to explore the vast variety of excellent locations to shoot, whereas others can learn from the more experienced instructors or participants. Sharing ideas by looking at another participants' approach is one of the benefits pointed out in our past events. Rather than guaranteeing certain locations and visiting the "icons of the Rockies", the choice of where to go each day is agreed between the organisers and participants on a daily basis, taking into account local weather, subject, lighting or trail conditions. The tour is VERY intense in that participants will often be out and about from before dawn (5 am) to after dusk (10 pm), in order to capture the best light. In other words, we intend to spend maximum time in the field! In case of inclement weather, we will be working on "assignments" in the lodge, post-processing or reviewing digital images taken in the field or learning from your instructors about their own techniques and approach to mountain / landscape photography.

Our past spring tours have been the most productive from a point of view of wildlife sightings, however this is early in the season, so expect a mix of weather which may even include snow on some mornings...

Package includes:

Four nights accommodation at Aurum Lodge, single occupancy

All meals, beverages and refreshments included, as well as gratuities, 4% tourism levy and instructor fees

Excursions in the area (car pooling with own vehicles)

Personalized instruction by an experienced local photographer. We will spend most of our time in the field to create stunning images and Royce will be there to guide and assist you in developing your own personal photographic vision.

A day of shooting at the Historic Nordegg Mine Site is included with the 2013 tour.

C$ 1,549 per person + GST (5%) .

Limit 6 to 7 participants

In the evenings there will be time to discuss the interests of the participants who are encouraged to bring along a portfolio of their own work to share with the others (slides, digital on CD or prints).

Tours start at 5 pm on the first day and wrap up after lunch (about 2 pm) on the last day.

For more information, to reserve your spot or to be placed on a wait list, contact Aurum Lodge. Deposit requirements are C$ 250 at the time of reservation, topped up to 50% three months before the tour, with balance of 50% due at the start of the tour.
Cancellation charge is C$ 150 minimum, increasing to 50% of package price three months before the tour, in case a spot cannot be resold at short notice.